How Strange
by ophidia-black
Summary: One-Shot: Lily's hurting. Can James help her out? LXJ


"So?"

"So what?"

"_So,_ will you go out with me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I've already said."

James sighed. How stubborn could a girl get? Plenty of girls would have said yes by now, but Lily? No. Not her. She's stubborn and doesn't believe in boyfriends- or love.

"Well," James smirked, "I don't remember." Lily sighed impatiently.

"I'm not going to repeat it Potter, so I'm afraid there is nothing to talk about."

"There's plenty to talk about. We just have to find out what." Lily sighed again. Her hair- her beautiful red hair- fell over her face. She leaned against the compartment door, looking at him quizzically.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" She asked simply. _Why else? I like you… _James smiled at his thoughts.

"You're fun to talk to."

"No I'm not." She said immediately.

"I think you're in denial because you're the most interesting person I've ever spoken with." Lily smiled at this, and then frowned.

"Don't say things like that. Especially when they aren't true." And with that, Lily Evans walked out of the Head compartment.

Damn. James thought. He had tried to have a single conversation without upsetting Lily, but he had failed…Miserably. But…there was something wrong with Lily. The usual spark in her comebacks and flare in her eyes wasn't there, and her demeanor seemed very small- along with her confidence. _What's wrong with her?_

James thought. He had tried to have a single conversation without upsetting Lily, but he had failed…Miserably. But…there was something wrong with Lily. The usual spark in her comebacks and flare in her eyes wasn't there, and her demeanor seemed very small- along with her confidence. 

James decided to find out what.

He left the Head compartment and, looking into every other compartment, searched for Lily. James thought she'd stand out, what with her red hair and astonishing emerald eyes, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Well, what do you do when you can't find a lily?

The next best thing- look for her friends. To James's relief, her friends weren't too far away. He could hear them talking loudly amongst themselves, playing card games and eating candy. James knocked on the door, and then cursing himself for how formal he was acting. Who would knock on the door? Just as he was about to walk away and into the shadows to become unnoticed, the door opened, and a girl with brown hair and hazel eyes appeared.

"Hello, James." She looked at his chest. "Head boy? Oh, I bet Lily had a right fit."

"Actually, she didn't." Alice Sweetman frowned. "That's why I'm here. Is there something wrong with Lily? She isn't acting like herself lately?"

"And you care?" Came a voice from inside the compartment. There was an audible SMACK, a moan, than an "Excuse her, James." from inside the compartment. Alice motioned for him to come inside, so he wouldn't have to stand for the next millennium. James sat down next to a girl with reddish-brown hair. Cleopatra Russle.

"So?" He asked, the second time that day, looking at Alice.

"Well…" Alice answered, understanding his topic. "There've been some… _things_… going on in her, um, family that we're not at will to talk about. You'll have to pry it out of her."

"I don't think she'll tell me, Alice." He answered. "That's why I need to know from you. She's acting secluded and lonely, and it's freaking me out. Is she alright?" Alice looked at him with admiration and uncertainty.

"You certainly like her if you're going to all this trouble, but still…"

"Oh, just tell him!" Cried Cleo. "It's not like we were sworn to a pact, and half the school probably knows already!" Samantha Parris nodded at this.

"It's true, Alice. Half the school probably does know. I mean, it was almost to the circulation point, but then school ended and it only became a rumor…Even though it isn't…" James sighed in frustration.

"Well, speaking in riddles isn't going to help me." He hissed.

"Oh, don't get all moody." Sam snapped. She had always had a dislike for James…_Always_… Alice sighed.

"Don't start an argument, and I'll tell James." She glared at Sam., who glared back and stuck out her tongue. Alice gave back a look that said "Oh, don't be so immature."

"Well?" James asked impatiently, interrupting their nonverbal argument. "If Lily got hurt or something-"

"No, she wasn't hurt. Well, at least not physically…"

"Than what was it exactly?"

"Her parents died." There was a deafening silence throughout the compartment.

"When?"

"What?" Cleo asked.

"When did this happen? How long has she been keeping out reality?" James knew quite well how it felt to loose a family member. His own mother had been killed by Voldemort on an Auror mission just two years ago. James also knew what people did when someone they loved was taken unnaturally. They block out the world, not wanting to confront the terrible truth. Not even the strongest person could keep from crying when a loved one dies. James knew this from experience.

"This whole summer." Alice whispered. "She wouldn't owl us or even come over when invited. We've been so scared for her."

"Thank you." James said, getting up and walking towards the door.

"What are you going to do?" Sam asked, concern written all over her face.

"I'm going tohelp her." And with that, he left their compartment, searching again for Lily Evans. He passed all of the compartments, but couldn't find her anywhere. James, becoming a bit more urgent, started to double check all the compartments, including the bathrooms. When he reached the last one, he silently praying that she was there. He knocked, and when he didn't get a reply, he knocked again.

Silence.

He started to leave, until he heard a definite scratch of a quill from behind the door. He turned back around and then pounded on the door.

"I know your in there Lily Evans!" He yelled out.

A very quiet, "What do you want," replied him.

"Come out, please. I want to talk to your face." He knew what he was asking of her, but it didn't stop him from wanting to see her gorgeous face. She stopped writing, he could hear, and the scramble of putting paper away and sitting up could be heard. Next thing he knew, he was looking right into the beautiful eyes of Lily Evans, just like he had only an hour ago.

Her face was pale and there were circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, he could see now that he was up close. She looked exhausted and put out, exactly like himself only two years back. Why did things like this always happen to the best of people? James grabbed her hand, and forced her to the Head compartment where he sat her down across from him. She stared at him, emotionless, her eyes, shallow and empty.

"I know what happened. This summer…" James started, then noticed that some life came back into her eyes. Hurt? Sadness? He couldn't tell, so he continued. "I think you should know that I know how you feel."

"How?" She asked in a monotone.

"My mother died two years ago because of Voldemort. I assume that's how your parents went." Lily looked up at him, concern written in her eyes along with deep sadness. "So I think you should know that I know how you feel, and that you shouldn't keep this so hidden."

"I don't need your help." She replied. It wasn't a mean statement, but it wasn't a command either. It was just simply there, like it always was with stubborn Lily Evans.

"Yes you do, and that's why I'm here." She looked at him again, but this time anger was etched into her features. She stood up, angrily.

"No I don't!" She yelled. "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL! YOU DON'T KNOW ANY- Any- t-thing…" That's when Lily broke down, streams of tears falling off her face. James stood up and drew her in a comforting hug. Lily didn't pull away, but she didn't embrace it. She kept her arms on his chest, her hands, balled up in fists. "You, y-you don't k-know!" She sniffed. "You don't k-know what i-it's l-like having t-to loose both parents! I have no one now!" Her tears died, and she brought her hands down and embraced James's hug, burring her face in his chest. "You don't know…"

"Yes I do. I almost felt like my life was being torn apart when she died. I'm an only child, and if my father had gone with my mother on that mission, I would be an orphan right now. I'd have no home, no family. No one. And everyday I thank to God that my father had been sick that day, and didn't go with mum." He pulled her in tighter, comforted by the coconut smell in her hair. She fit perfectly in his embrace, and he in hers. She leaned away, and stepped back, looking at him. James smiled to himself. The sadness and emptiness that had clouded her eyes was lifted a bit. And the beautiful emerald green shown more brightly.

"Thank you." The sides of her mouth twitched with a smile.

"I'm here for you." James replied. "Whenever you need it."

"But."

"But what?"

"Why? Why help me?" James smiled at her. She looks so adorable when she's confused.

"Because I like you, Lily. I really, really like you. I hope you see that." Lily looked at him carefully. Her eyes boring into his trying to find the truth behind his words.

"I do." She replied, and James silently hoped that she would say that again sometime to him in the future.

"You know, I don't just ask you out so you can refuse. I ask you out because I want to know you better. I want to know you, Lily. Not Lily Evans, Head Girl." He confessed. She looked at him. Guilt and…and something else could be seen on her face.

"I know." Her face became more confident and she straightened out her posture a little bit.

"Than why decline? Is there something wrong with me?"

"NO!." She said quickly, while his heart sank. _So then why say no? _"There's nothing wrong with you James." His heart leapt again from being called his first names. _No Potter! Just James! _"I just never realized before how honest and caring you are. I realize that, right now, you aren't trying to get me into bed, or something prick-ish." His heart sank again. Did she really think he was like that? As if reading his mind, she replied. "Yes, I actually thought of you like that, but please hear me out. I don't believe that's you. At least not now. Thank you James. Thank you for letting me in." She smiled for the first time that day, her eyes glinting with warmth. "I hope that you could give me another chance." James looked at her carefully now. Was she saying what he though she was saying?

"A-are you saying?" She smiled at him and nodded. "Would you go out with me?" She embraced him again, and he held her, smelling her coconut hair again. A muffled sound came from her, and he could feel the heat from her breath on his chest. His heart began to beat extremely fast at this realization. _He was holding Lily Evans._

"What?" He spoke out, only able to speak one syllable words. _He was holding Lily Evans!_ She looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"Yes, James Potter. I'll go out with you." James beamed like there was no tomorrow. _And Lily Evans was going out with him!_

James leaned down and brought his lips to hers. How strange it was that something as much as holding someone can bring such happiness. How strange it was that James was finally holding the one person he had been vying for, for three years. And how strange is was that he was finally kissing her, and she was kissing back.

How strange, James thought, that the empty place in his heart was suddenly filled.

* * *

**A/N: **My first One-shot! I hope, beyond hope that you like it! Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Lily Evans or James Potter. They belong to the wonderful mind of J.K. Rowling.


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